Kitsapers In the Pros

Update: Hammel’s 5-4 with a 4.07 ERA in 17 games (14 starts). In 86 1/3 innings, he’s allowed 100 hits. He has struck out 59 batters and walked 21. He pitched his first complete game in his next-to-last start, a tough-luck 1-0 loss against the Dodgers. He has pitched into the sixth inning in nine of his last 10 starts. His next start is today at home against Atlanta.

Willie Bloomquist

Team: Kansas City Royals

Position: INF/OF

High School: South Kitsap, 1996

College: Arizona State

Drafted: Mariners, third round, 1999

Update: Bloomquist has played every position except pitcher and catcher and is on pace to set career highs in most offensive categories. He’s already matched his career high for steals with 16 through 69 games (56 of them starts). He had 16 steals in 2006 with the Mariners when he made 57 starts, another career high. And he’s three hits away from equaling his career high in hits (64) and RBI (22). Bloomquist was hitting .280 through Friday with 12 extra bases hits (two HRs, an American League-leading seven triples and three doubles) after getting just one extra base hit a year ago. He’s been starting at shortstop, but will likely resume more of a full-time utility role when Yunieski Betancourt joins the Royals next week.

Japanese Pacific League

Todd Linden

Team: Rakuten Golden Eagles

Position: OF

High School: Central Kitsap, 1998

College: Washington, Louisiana State

Drafted: Giants, first round (43rd overall, sandwich pick), 2001

Update: Linden’s contract was sold by the Yankees to the Eagles last month. No doubt, he’s still adjusting to another culture as well as Japanese baseball. Through Friday he was hitting .258. He was 4-for-4 with a home run on Monday, but was 0-for-4 with four strikeouts the following day. Go to Japanball.com for updates on Japanese baseball.

The Minors

Aaron Cunningham

Team: Sacramento RiverCats

Organization: Oakland A’s

Position: OF

High School: South Kitsap, 2004

College: Everett CC

Drafted: White Sox, sixth round, 2005

Update: Cunningham, who’s had a couple of short stints with the Oakland A’s this season, is showing some power at Sacramento. He’s hitting .292 with nine home runs, 12 doubles and 29 RBI in 40 games at Triple-A. He’s also stolen six bases. Rated the fourth-best prospect in the A’s organization, he should make it back to Oakland if he stays healthy.

Update: Ellison heated up for a stretch last month, but has cooled lately. He’s hitting .246 with three HRs and 21 RBI. He’s got seven stolen bases and a .333 on-base percentage.

Travis Vetters

Organization: L.A. Dodgers

Team: Great Lakes Loons (Midland, Mich.) — Class A, Midwest League

Position: OF/DH

High School: South Kitsap, 2002

College: Portland

Draft: Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dodgers in 2006

Update: Vetters returned from the DL after a shoulder earlier this month and went 1-for-14 on a four-game road trip to drop his average to .219. He’s hit one home run and has 39 strikeouts in 105 at-bats.